Insomnia

Just when I thought I had my sleep pattern under control,*WHAM* I'm back to four hours a night.

Trust me when I say that is not enough sleep to function on for a sustained period of time. Don't get me wrong, the occasional sleepless night is great for writing an out-of-the-box scene. Being tired helps silence my inner critic. That voice in the back of my head that tells me I'm writing garbage, the characters aren't three dimensional, or the plot line just stinks.

Lack of sleep also shuts down my filter. It usually stays hinged to the front of my brain, saving me from saying inappropriate things at the most inopportune moments. Not having a working filter can certainly help me develop a character's personality...unfortunately, it can push also a character too far into the obnoxious zone. That means rewrites.

A week of insomnia is just brutal. Nothing kills writing mojo faster than being overtired. For now, it seems I've planted my flag in the "I got some sleep" camp. Glad the weekend's here, though. If I don't break this cycle soon, I'll be locked up in the "no sleep = insanity" ward.